frisk@rhi.hi.is (Fridrik Skulason) (03/16/89)
I have a few picture files with the extension of .PCX, that I need to display.
I don't know the name of the program used to generate the files, only that it
was done on a PC.
Where can I find information on this format (or some decoding code) ?
(Or does maybe somebody have some information/sample code he/she could E-mail
me ???)
--
Fridrik Skulason University of Iceland
UUCP frisk@rhi.uucp BIX frisk
Guvf yvar vagragvbanyyl yrsg oynax .................vail@tegra.UUCP (Johnathan Vail) (03/17/89)
.PCX is generated by PCPAINT and perhaps other programs from Zsoft in
Atlanta GA. They can send a tech note that describes the format to
users of their products. I got mine from calling them.
Hope this helps
. /|/|
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| | Johnathan Vail | tegra!N1DXG@ulowell.edu
|Tegra| (508) 663-7435 | N1DXG @ 145.110-, 444.2+, 448.625-
-----silver@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Andy Silverman) (03/18/89)
In article <436@atlas.tegra.UUCP> vail@tegra.UUCP (Johnathan Vail) writes: > >.PCX is generated by PCPAINT and perhaps other programs from Zsoft in >Atlanta GA. They can send a tech note that describes the format to >users of their products. I got mine from calling them. Quickie clarification: PC Paintbrush is the series of Z-Soft programs that uses the PCX file format. There is another program out there called PC Paint that uses a different format, not by Z-soft. +----------------+-----------------------------------------+ | Andy Silverman | Internet: silver@eniac.seas.upenn.edu | | "Why?" | Compu$erve: 72261,531 | +----------------+-----------------------------------------+
Classic_-_Concepts@cup.portal.com (03/19/89)
The .PCX files you are asking about are created with IBM software
called PC Paintbrush. It also generates similar 'brush' files (portions
of the screen) with the extension .PCC. I think the software sells for
somewhere in the $150-$200 range. Deluxe Paint for the IBM has a conver-
sion utility which interconverts some of the plethora of IBM graphics
file formats. (Deluxe Paint generates .LBM files consistent with IFF
ILBM files which are standard on the Amiga.) DPaint will convert .PCX to
.LBM and vice versa.
If you wish to convert them for your own application or to view them,
you're going to find documentation on those many file formats is sometimes
hard to get. Check your IBM PD sources for conversion routines. Or ask
people here. It seems the biggest topic on the net lately in graphics is
'what's the format so I can write a conversion routine?' I'm sorry to see
so much energy and expertise expended on re-re-re-re-reinventing the wheel.
LadyHawke@cup.portal.comabcscnge@csuna.csun.edu (Scott "The Pseudo-Hacker" Neugroschl) (03/21/89)
In article <436@atlas.tegra.UUCP> vail@tegra.UUCP (Johnathan Vail) writes: >.PCX is generated by PCPAINT and perhaps other programs from Zsoft in ^^^^^^^ PCX is generated by PC PAINTBRUSH (by Zsoft). PC PAINT (by MSC -- formerly Mouse Systems Corp.) generates .PIC files. I have no connection with MSC other than as a satisfied customer. -- Scott "The Pseudo-Hacker" Neugroschl UUCP: ...!sm.unisys.com!csun!csuna.csun.edu!abcscnge -- unless explicitly stated above, this article not for use by rec.humor.funny -- Disclaimers? We don't need no stinking disclaimers!!!
roth@sce.carleton.ca (Carl Roth) (03/22/89)
.pcx files can be viewed with WordPerfect 5.0 if you do not have PC Paint Brush handy.
rosso@sco.COM (Ross Oliver) (04/01/89)
In article <816@krafla.rhi.hi.is> frisk@rhi.hi.is (Fridrik Skulason) writes: >I have a few picture files with the extension of .PCX, that I need to display. >I don't know the name of the program used to generate the files, only that it >was done on a PC. > >Where can I find information on this format (or some decoding code) ? The PCX Technical Reference Manual that includes a description of the .pcx file format and some sample encoding/decoding program fragments can be downloaded from the ZSoft BBS. As of 3/8/89, the access information was: ZBBS -- ZSoft Corporation's Online Product Support Service Online 24 Hours a day Supporting 300/1200/2400/9600(Telebit Users) Line 1 - (404) 427-1045 Line 2 - (404) 424-3146 Your Sysops are: Kevin Campbell Shannon Donovan Office Number: (404) 428-0008 (9am - 6pm Eastern Time)
pfarrell@anselm.UUCP (Gladiator) (04/04/89)
Hey, good news. Word perfect 5.0 lets you load .pcx graphics and combine them with your documents. Due to a bug you can't reverse the image. It reverses the black and white on the screen, not the printout. This may not help, but it might interest a few people which is why I posted it. -- Patrick Farrell @ St. Anselm's college, Goffstown N.H. 1-603-472-2378 dartvax!anselm!pfarrell "Laugh and the world ignores you. Crying doesn't help either."
stel@tank.uchicago.edu (stelios valavanis) (09/01/89)
does anybody know what files with extension .pcx are? i'm fairly certain they're some kind of graphics files but i don't have any graphics prog to find out. stel -- Bitnet: uclstel@uchimvs1.bitnet | remember, you can't know something Internet: stel@tank.uchicago.edu | you know, but you can be uucp: ...!uunet!mimsy!oddjob!tank!stel | aware of it
swh@hpcupt1.HP.COM (Steve Harrold) (09/01/89)
Re: What are .PCX files? I think you'll find that they are the output of PC Paintbrush by Z-Soft.
chuck@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM (Chuck Rissmeyer) (09/02/89)
In article <5255@tank.uchicago.edu> stel@tank.uchicago.edu (stelios valavanis) writes: >does anybody know what files with extension .pcx are? i'm fairly >certain they're some kind of graphics files but i don't have any >graphics prog to find out. >stel >-- Graphics, Yup, that's for sure, but to add some more to your question: It seems that PC Paintbrush is the program that uses this as its standard, but I've seen PCX files that my PC Paintbrush can't load yet I can display them on my VGA monitor with other programs. My question then is, are there programs that use the PCX extension to store graphics files in formats other than PC Paintbrushes? If so, WHY? And then there's the ubiquitous PIC extension that seems to plague me with the same problem.
erik@stsim.UUCP (Erik Kascik) (09/05/89)
On your question about PIC files, if you are in the MS-DOS environment those PIC files are most likely ones generated from the paint program included in the GRASP animation package. [but there are many other programs that use a .PIC extension that are incompatible with GRASP.] erik(..uunet!ocsmd!stsim!erik);
negris@alf.sybase.com (Tim Negris) (09/05/89)
In article <1492@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM> chuck@ncrcce.StPaul.NCR.COM (PUT YOUR NAME HERE) writes: >In article <5255@tank.uchicago.edu> stel@tank.uchicago.edu (stelios valavanis) writes: >>does anybody know what files with extension .pcx are? i'm fairly >>certain they're some kind of graphics files but i don't have any >>graphics prog to find out. >>stel >>-- > >Graphics, Yup, that's for sure, but to add some more to your question: > >It seems that PC Paintbrush is the program that uses this as its standard, >but I've seen PCX files that my PC Paintbrush can't load yet I can display them >on my VGA monitor with other programs. My question then is, are there programs >that use the PCX extension to store graphics files in formats other than >PC Paintbrushes? If so, WHY? And then there's the ubiquitous PIC extension that seems to plague me with the same problem. It wouldn't surprise me if some program somewhere used the .PCX extension for file formats that PC Paintbrush won't load. I think it is more likely that such programs are simply taking liberties with the info in the header in such a way as to make Paintbrush say, "Pass!" The header contains slots that ZSoft documentation says things about like, "not used, should be 0". If a program uses header slots in an incompatible way, it could cause a problem for Paintbrush and not for less discriminating programs. Also, the Paintbrush header stores values to identify the type of graphics card in use, the number of colors and the dimensions of the screen for that card when the picture was saved, and the physical dimensions of the picture. If a program stores a combination of values in those slots that do not make sense to Paintbrush or that it cannot accommodate in its present settings, it won't load the file. Some things that would be considered unloadable: - unrecognized hardware manufacturer indicator - unsupported values for valid hardware (e.g. 320X200X16 EGA) - partial screen (it expects .PCC extension for that) - invalid picture or hardware dimensions for current card/setting There may be others that are peculiar to the VGA, like invalid color palette specification, but that's just a guess. Anyway, ZSoft in Atlanta will send you the header specification. It used to be free, I think they may have started charging a nominal fee recently. In the meantime, if you have a binary editor, e.g. Norton Utilities, PC Tools, etc. you can examine the header (first 128 bytes) of an unloadable file and compare it with that of a genuine Paintbrush. You may be able to edit it into a loadable condition. I have done this many times. As for .PIC, I have seen that extention applied to *many* different kinds of files that had absolutely nothing in common.
dougs@videovax.tv.Tek.com (Doug Stevens) (09/05/89)
The .PCX extension is also used by Pizazz and Pizazz-Plus for producing Ventura-compatible graphics files.
dmurdoch@watstat.waterloo.edu (Duncan Murdoch) (09/06/89)
In article <186@stsim.UUCP> erik@stsim.UUCP (Erik Kascik) writes: >On your question about PIC files, if you are in the MS-DOS environment >those PIC files are most likely ones generated from the paint program >included in the GRASP animation package. [but there are many other >programs that use a .PIC extension that are incompatible with GRASP.] Including Lotus 123... Duncan Murdoch
philips.electronics@canremote.uucp (PHILIPS ELECTRONICS) (09/23/89)
The Microsoft PaintBrush program uses this format. It is a pixel based graphics program. You can also directly import this file into WordPerfect 5.0. Regards, Fred McGowan --- * Via ProDoor 3.1aR